A Kingdom of Isolation
by MissKitsune08
Summary: "The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the king." Eli Vanto accepts Thrawn's offer and joins the Chiss Ascendancy, becoming Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto. Unfortunately, the rest of the Chiss are not exactly thrilled with the prospect of accepting an outsider into their fold.
1. A Warm Welcome

The Freak Fleet 'verse: A series of stories exploring the dynamics among Grand Admiral Thrawn, Pellaeon, Covell, Parck, Niriz, Dorja, and other members of the Seventh Fleet. Legends cast in Rebels, a couple of OCs. Mix of Canon and Legends (Essentially AU). Serious, as well as not-so-serious fics. Semi-crack.

The Freak Fleet - Breaking the Ice - Of Chiss and Men - Witch Hunt - Second Chances - Chance Encounters - The Evil So Terrible It Tried To Black Out The Stars - An Unstoppable Force Meets an Immovable Object - All Roads Lead to Coruscant - Freak Fleet Files - **A Kingdom of Isolation**

* * *

Author's Note:

Regarding Chiss names and Chiss world building: I've based the image of the Chiss Ascendancy on the late New Jedi Order's (NJO) version – sneaky, cold, and calculating people who place their duty above everything else, and whose main concern is the safety of their own people, not the rest of the galaxy. I know many people dislike the NJO as a whole and/or its description of Chiss species. Guess what, I kriffing love NJO. Still, there are many aspects of the series that I flatly disagree with, and I downright hate that every Chiss the Skywalkers et al. come across is named something'something'nuruodo (or even worse Something Nuruodo).

On the other hand, I don't see why I couldn't combine Zahn's and NJO's naming patterns. Eg.: Mitth'ras'safis

A commoner born as 'Ras,' becoming Ras'safis as a teen/adult, eventually elevated to Mitth'ras'safis thanks to his civil service to the Eighth Ruling Family, becoming Syndic (=the head) of House Mitth.

On the other hand, his brother Thrawn (born 'Raw,' becoming Raw'safis), not only became Mitth (military service), but thanks to his exceptional results he ascended to the direct lineage of the Eighth Ruling Family, Nuruodo, changing the third part of his name into Mitth'raw'nuruodo.

In NJO, the number of the Ruling Families got reduced into Four (as opposed to Nine in the Outbound Flight); this continuity plot hole was later fixed by having Thrawn casually mention that the number of the Ruling Families changed over the time (as many as Twelve, as little as Three), and in the Dark Nest trilogy Aristocra Formbi hinting that there had been a civil war, pardon, a _disagreement_ (I'm quoting here, people) that led to the reduction to Four. It is therefore possible that Nuruodo moved up from the Eighth to the Second position. (At present, the Second Ruling Family in this verse is, unsurprisingly, Harana)

In my mind, each Ruling Family consists of multiple Houses:

For example the Fifth Ruling Family, Bintrano, consists of the House Chaf, but also of the House Kres (among others); all members of its rivaling Houses can ascend into its direct lineage, becoming members of the Bintrano Family by merit (descendants of such trial-borns eventually becoming Aristocras themselves) and, of course, children of the actual "blue blood" Aristocras inheriting the status automatically after their parents.

And lastly, Chiss in my verse come in various shade of blue depending on the planet of origin; not all Chiss come from Csilla or from the Path of the Houses.

* * *

 **Title: A Warm Welcome**

Disclaimer: Let's see how many of you've read the _New Jedi Order: Force Heretic II: Refugee_ , aka the Skywalkers et al. visit Csilla. There will be many hidden references as well as many direct quotations from the book. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

 _You have nothing to fear from my people if you answer their questions fully and truthfully_ , Thrawn had said. That might have been true but still it didn't change the fact that Eli was basically a prisoner on this cold, inhospitable chunk of ice. And even if he wasn't confined to his quarters until the Ruling Council decided his ultimate fate, it would be impossible to go out in this _kriffing_ weather.

The Chiss Ascendancy consisted of many different worlds with all possible environmental conditions; one would think with the pick of any of the worlds in the Unknown Regions that they would have chosen one a bit more agreeable than this.

No. Of course these cold-blooded schemers would have chosen a freaking ice-ball as their capital.

Eli let out a deep sigh of resignation as he was being led into the Council chambers; his armed escort looked as cold and impassive as usual- as if they had been taking him out for a dinner or to another routine questioning instead of to his assigned judges and jury. Not executioners. No, the Chiss did not have capital punishment since they believed death served no real purpose. A criminal could not spend the rest of his days regretting his life choices if his life was prematurely terminated.

Eli gulped. Everything he had ever done in his life was for nothing; if he managed to screw even _this_ up, then he would end up confined to his quarters for the rest of his life. It might have seemed like a more humane option than being summarily executed, but in reality it was much worse. The Chiss Ascendancy was far more inventive than the Galactic Empire ever was.

The problem was that Eli knew too much, and allowing him to everleave the Chiss Ascendancy was an unacceptable security risk. Perhaps they would have at least let him wander through the underground cities and talk to the locals had he been unaware of the true nature of Thrawn's exile. However, now that Eli knew that Thrawn had been basically carrying out their secret orders, they couldn't have let him go unsupervised even if they flatly dismissed Thrawn's request. No, that would mean going public with the fact that Thrawn's exile had been a carefully orchestrated move.

Completely unacceptable even by their own standards.

He already lost the count how many times he had been questioned, always by the same anonymous sapphire blue warrior dressed in the black uniform tunic with a burgundy red patch. Fleet Admiral Ar'alani, dressed in the pristine white uniform of the Defense Hierarchy, sat quietly in the corner, observing every session, cataloging Eli's reactions and his facial expressions. After their brief initial exchange, the icy blue woman had never breathed a word aloud.

Eli had delivered Thrawn's message, all right- only apparently Admiral Ar'alani disliked its content. Or the messenger.

As per Thrawn's recommendation, Eli had answered every single question, whether it was related to the Galactic Empire, Galactic Republic, or the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Also, as per another recommendation, Eli stuck to the facts and kept his own political views to himself, since the Chiss apparently cared little for either political system. Now, finally, Eli could at least begin to understand Thrawn's reasoning. Essentially, the Chiss Ascendancy was a form of oligarchy; the commoners had their basic needs provided by the government, and everything else could be obtained through servitude.

Either to one of the Ruling Families or to the Chiss Defense Force.

The reward for such servitude was acceptance into one of the Houses, or, in case of an exceptional record, directly into one of the Ruling Families; meaning even the poorest, most insignificant commoners could become the decision makers themselves. It was a Chiss belief that ruling was simply another form of service. And just as anyone could ascend the societal ladder, anyone could also descend back into the sea of ordinary Chiss citizens. Even the number of the Ruling Families had changed over time, ranging from three to twelve. Currently there were nine, each represented by an assigned color scheme.

Eli took a deep breath to steel himself. Where water froze, only the meanest organisms could evolve, and only the toughest survived. The Chiss clearly fit into the latter category, clinging to their world tooth and claw, no matter how much it tried to freeze them out. They had to be approached from a position of strength and respect; they never dealt with weaklings, and they certainly wouldn't talk to him if he sounded anything but professional. Hopefully, the time spent aboard the ISD _Relentless_ would pay off; a ship full of Core World snobs turned out to be an excellent target practice, and in any case, Captain Dorja was really good when it came to protocol.

Whatever. The cold never bothered him anyway.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. The Ruling Council

**Title: The Ruling Council**

* * *

The main door to the Council chambers opened without a sound and Eli's armed escort stepped away, allowing him to walk into the center of the circular room containing a dozen black chairs set around an equally circular table. He sagged down into the uncomfortable chair in the middle, resting his back against the cold padding.

Only his nameless interrogator with the burgundy red patch remained, assuming a standard position by the heavy door; the other Chiss warriors dispersed without a word. It meant the High Councilors expected Eli to behave, otherwise they would have taken proper security precautions.

Or perhaps they simply didn't want any witnesses to the conversation.

His nameless interrogator tilted his head to a side, as if he had received a signal into the Chiss version of a comm link attached to his , one by one, eleven figures gracefully entered the room, taking seats at seemingly random positions around the circle, spreading themselves out on either side of Eli.

There were two white-uniformed members of the Defense Hierarchy; one of them Fleet Admiral Ar'alani, the other, an elderly navy blue Chiss with silver streaks in his receding blue-black hair Eli didn't know.

The remaining nine Chiss were members of the Council of Families, their faces partially hidden by of their head-to-foot ceremonial robes was of a different color: beige, yellow, bronze, burgundy red, dark green, cyan, navy blue, deep purple, and dark brown.

An awkward silence followed until Eli finally cleared his throat, looking at his judges and jury nervously. "If it is permissible to know whom do I have the honor of addressing?" Eli began in Sy Bisti, trying his best to imitate Captain Dorja's polite way of speech and Commander Nalgol's bold body language. The Kuati prince had enough confidence to stand tall even in the Emperor's presence. Eli supposed he wouldn't let himself be intimidated by the Ruling Council.

 _You don't need to be perfect. You need to believe in yourself. That's all it takes_ , Thrawn had said.

"No," said a hooded figure in bronze, a woman with a rich contralto voice.

"Just as our Families are defined by their function in society, so are we defined by our roles as representatives of those Families. We are here before you not as people, but as the beginning and end points of a decision-making process."

"You do not need to know who acts on behalf of the Chiss. We represent everyone," said a figure in dark green, an elderly man with a deep, authoritative voice. Green was the Harana Family color, currently ruled by House Reli, meaning it must have been Aristocra Reli'anr'harana there.

Eli felt as if he'd just run head-on into a wall made of thick ice. He only needed to find a crack in the iceberg. Fortunately, the gundark had taught him a couple of things as well. What General Bittenfeld couldn't solve by force, he would solve with even bigger force.

"As you wish, Honored Councilors," Eli gave them his best imitation of Captain Dorja's Coruscanti nobleman's bow. "My name is-"

"We know who you are, Eli Vanto," a sharp male voice silenced him, belonging to a medium-built figure in yellow, "an alien criminal caught trespassing upon the Chiss Ascendancy territory, making outrageous demands upon his arrest."

Eli suppressed a smirk.

"Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, if I am not mistaken?" He tried to put as much confidence into his voice as possible. Yellow did not answer, only the glowing eyes narrowed considerably. "If I may be so bold, Aristocra," Eli continued in a firm, steady voice. Commander Nalgol would be so proud of him right now.

 _If you want to be taken seriously in the Imperial Court, Lieutenant Vanto, you need to act like them_ , the Kuati prince had said. _They are the ultimate predators, which means_ you _need to become a predator as well. If you keep behaving like a prey, you will only end up dead._

 _I'm sorry, Commander Nalgol, but members of the Imperial Court are not the ultimate predators_ , Eli thought bitterly, looking at his assigned judges and jury. _These are._

"It seems you have been misinformed. I am Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto representing the House of Humans in Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo's absence. My origins are not important."

 _Tread_ _carefully around Aristocra Formbi, Theliv, for he could become either a powerful ally or a bitter_ _foe_ , Eli remembered Thrawn's words. _His past make him the weakest link of the Council, and with a correct instrument, applying exactly the right amount of pressure, it may be possible to exploit the crack and trigger an avalanche_.

"An outsider with a Chiss name." Yellow made a scornful sound. "You have no right to demand anything."

Eli only smiled. "On the contrary, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano. I have the legal right to make demands, especially against House Chaf."

Yellow stiffened.

Good. It _was_ Formbi, then. Eli couldn't have known for sure. His intel on the current members of the Ruling Council might have been outdated.

 _Strike right at the Chiss heart, Theliv_. Thrawn had said. _The sense of guilt can be a_ very _powerful motivator._ _Unfortunately_ , _I am speaking from experience._

"Since it was _your_ actions, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, which caused the death of Syndic Mitth'ras'safis. You have wronged House Mitth in the past, and I, the legal representative of Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo, am fully authorized to demand a new trial if necessary."

All Chiss in the room collectively blinked in response. They kept staring at him for what seemed like an eternity but it couldn't have lasted more than a couple of seconds- presumably stunned speechless, and then they broke into a heated discussion in Cheunh. Unfortunately, Eli couldn't understand a word they were saying; he tried to memorize as many words as he could on his way to Csilla, but there were too many homonyms and too many words that sounded nearly identical to human ears but could be differentiated with enough time and practice.

Finally, the shouting match receded into a low murmur. Andit seemed that Aristocra Formbi wasn't pleased with the result one bit. He sat unnaturally straight, with his gloved fists tightly clenched, throwing proverbial daggers at Eli with those glowing red eyes.

"Your claim against House Chaf is valid, Assistant Syndic," a staccato voice cut through the murmuring, ending the discussion. The speaker was a petite figure in the burgundy red of Nuruodo, Thrawn's adoptive family. "Since the only reason why Chaf'orm'bintrano had been allowed to keep his status was because he could not have known Syndic Mitth'ras'safis would rather willingly sacrifice his own life than let the foreign invader's technology fall into the hands of the Fifth Family."

A small smirk escaped him, Eli couldn't help it. _One down, eight to go_ , he thought as he mentally prepared to charge at the other High Councilors.

Too bad the gundark couldn't see him now. Or perhaps not. General Bittenfeld would have encouragingly hit him on the back with such a force Eli would have doubled over in pain.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

Take that, Formbi! Really, there are so many things I can forgive but Thrass's death is not one of them. And don't worry, Commander Riza is still on _Relentless_ but she's no Core World snob so... Meet the ship's second officer, Commander Nalgol, the Prince of Kuat. Some of you may remember him as Captain Nalgol from _Hand of Thrawn_ Duology.


	3. Alliances

**Title: Alliances**

* * *

"Have you come to gloat, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano?" Eli asked the medium-built Chiss male who was coming his way, carrying himself as he had owned the entire planet, his hooded overcoat removed.

Aristocra Formbi ignored his question, crossing the hallway in a brisk stride, paying no attention to him whatsoever, glancing in Eli's direction only when he stepped directly in front of him.

"No. Gloating over one's misfortune is an action unbecoming of a Chiss," he said in a condescending tone, his face a clear expression of distaste. Then he reached inside of a pocket of his yellow ceremonial robe with a gloved hand, handling him over a small seal coated in gold.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what it is." Eli admitted grudgingly, taking the seal from the Chiss, looking at it from various angles and directions. Inside, there was an engraving which looked like a miniature coat of arms.

"My personal seal," Aristocra Formbi explained. "A Bintrano always pays his debts. It is true that I have wronged House Mitth in the past, therefore it is only fitting _I_ should be the one paying for all your expenses."

A muscle in the powder blue cheek twitched.

"Since you didn't understand the discussion in Cheunh, allow me translate some of it for you. While Mitth'raw'nuruodo still technically belongs to the Eighth Ruling Family, the representative of the Nuruodos considers his decision to resurrect House Mitth using the Family colors without her permission a scandal on an unprecedented scale. She will not support the House of Humans in any official or unofficial manner which includes the financial matters. Under normal circumstances, _she_ would be the one tending to your needs and providing you with the Nuruodos' assets."

"I..." Eli didn't know what to say. "Thank you, Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, that is very kind of-"

The Chiss silenced him with a gesture.

"While there is no limit attached to this seal, I suggest you use the Bintranos' assets wisely. I have no plans of going bankrupt because of an alien criminal like you. I trust that my debt to House Mitth has been cleared and that you will cease and desist from making any further claims against my own person?"

It was not a question.

"You have my word, Aristocra." Eli responded in a bitter tone, giving him a deep, respectful bow reserved for high-born Chiss of his societal standing. Of course the cold-blooded bastard was only interested in keeping his own seat on the Council.

 _I'm a kriffing idiot._

Aristocra Formbi gave him a curt nod in acknowledgment, visibly pleased with Eli's subdued behavior and correct depth of his bow. "Excellent. In that case I hope we shall never see each other again."

Eli's face hardened. "So do I, Aristocra." He said darkly. He wanted to slap the insufferable son of a Hutt as hardest as he could.

"So do I." He repeated ominously as the other turned on his heel without a word and walked gracefully away from him, dismissing Eli's words as a mere empty threat.

It _was_ an empty threat, after all.

Eli swallowed hard, placing the seal carefully in his innermost breast pocket. _I've had enough_ , he thought as he watched the snow storm raging on through the glass window protected from the deadly onslaught by a powerful force field. He touched its cold surface, watching his own reflection like in a mirror.

A tear escaped him.

And then another. And another. Until he finally let it go and started crying in the middle of an empty hallway, ignoring the nameless interrogator who had been keeping an eye on him like a tall looming shadow from the distance. Perhaps now he would be finally willing to share his name? Strangely enough, Mr. Red Patch was the closest person Eli had here. The sapphire blue Chiss was the only one who didn't treat him in a condescending manner. He'd only asked questions. Again, again, and again. In a calm, strangely reassuring tone. He'd never raised his voice. Not even once. It was his job, after all, it was nothing personal.

 _What is the name for the condition when a captive starts to develop attachment to their captor?_ , Eli silently mused. _Somewhere syndrome… Definitely named after a planet or a city sieged during the Clone Wars_ …

His train of thoughts got interrupted when he noticed Admiral Ar'alani's reflection in the glass window.

"What?!" Eli snapped, turning to face another cold-blooded bastard, this time a one that would have put the infamous "Iceheart" to shame, wiping out the tears with his sleeve.

"You people don't cry?"

Admiral Ar'alani's frosty face remained as impassive as ever. "We do." She admitted finally. "However, we usually do not let ourselves to be seen crying in public. It is a sign of weakness."

Eli snorted.

"Oh really? Because we humans _love_ crying in public. We even record ourselves and broadcast it all over the holonet in order to get more thumbs up on the holobook."

Admiral Ar'alani's glowing eyes narrowed fractionally. "You are angry." She stated the obvious. "Such emotional response is natural and understandable. However, if you wish to be taken seriously by the Chiss, merely having a Chiss name is not enough. You need to act like one, Mitth'eli'vanto."

"You want me to become an icicle?!" Eli barked out a sharp laugh. He was aware he was shouting at a member of the Defense Hierarchy, probably not the smartest tactical move, but he couldn't help it. He'd screwed up. _Again._

"Let me go out for a few minutes, then, and I'll return frozen solid. With a heart made of ice. Just like you."

Admiral Ar'alani's icy blue face darkened, her glowing eyes now narrowed into mere slits.

Eli run his hand through his hair, sagging down to the cold floor, crouching and hugging his knees protectively. "I'm sorry, Admiral. That was really low … I just …"

Mr. Red Patch disappeared behind the corner, giving them at least an illusion of privacy. Yeah, he'd definitely have to ask the man's name later.

Admiral Ar'alani stood there in silence, observing him for a couple of seconds, until she let out a long, deep exhale. "Mitth'raw'nuruodo certainly knows where to strike in order to deliver a critical hit to his opponents. Always two steps ahead of everyone, isn't he?"

"Huh?" Eli raised his head.

"My maternal rights, Mitth'eli'vanto." She let out a small shrug. "I had to give up my own children in order to become Ar'alani. It would have been viewed as favoritism of one Ruling Family over others had I kept seeing them."

"What's _wrong_ with you people?" Eli exclaimed in horror, his face contorted in pain.

Admiral Ar'alani merely raised an eyebrow. "Wearing the white uniform of the Defense Hierarchy is considered to be the greatest honor."

Eli chuckled. "Funny. Thrawn had called it his shackles."

Admiral Ar'alani blinked, tilting her head to a side. "That is … another way of seeing it, I suppose."

Eli shook his head. "You really had to give up your own children?"

It must have broken her heart, Eli supposed, maternal instincts ran deep in all mammalian species. And Chiss were mammals, no matter how difficult he'd found it to believe at times.

"Yes." Admiral Ar'alani confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper. "It is the way of the Chiss, Mitth'eli'vanto. Members of the Defense Hierarchy are stripped of their name and privilege; they must give up their own affiliation in order to devote themselves entirely to the protection of all Chiss without deference or prejudice."

"How can you be so … self-sacrificing when it comes to your own kind yet so indifferent when it comes to others?" It was a rhetorical question, of course, he didn't really expect to hear an answer.

"And it's Eli," he added quietly, hugging his knees even more tightly. "Lieutenant Vanto is dead. Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto is a mere chimaera. A work of fiction. It's just ... Eli. That's all what's left."

Admiral Ar'alani looked down at him strangely. " _Eli_ ..." She slowly repeated his given name.

"I disagree." She declared resolutely, raising her chin high. "But to be an entirely honest with you, it came to me as a shock that Mitth'raw'nuruodo would send over someone who clearly does not believe in his own importance or even in himself. You should have placed more faith in your own Syndic, _Eli_ , since Mitth'raw'nuruodo only rarely makes a move without a careful consideration. You _are_ the perfect person for the mission."

"I don't understand."

And now Eli was completely lost. How could he _possibly_ be the perfect person for the mission? He had failed. They had kicked him out of the Council chambers, telling him to come back once he had learned to pronounce at least his own name correctly in Cheunh.

Looking back, though, asking them whether they had no conscience wasn't probably the smartest tactical move, either. On the other hand, one could hardly blame Eli for losing it after the elderly male representative of the Defense Hierarchy replied that they were aware of the concept, right? _Right?!_ Perhaps he should have spent a little more time aboard the _Relentless_. Eli's first real attempt at diplomacy had ended in an epic failure.

"Of course you don't." Admiral Ar'alani's expression softened.

"And since you are free to go wherever you want as long as you restrict your movements to Csilla, it also means you can visit whomever you want." Her icy blue lips marred in an evil smirk. "Including … my own children and their immediate families. Naturally, as the person in charge of you, I must follow you in case you accidentally slipped away information related to Thrawn's exile."

Eli's eyes narrowed into mere slits. "You sound _just_ like Thrawn..."

Admiral Ar'alani's evil smirk widened little further, her glowing eyes positively gleaming. "Oh, he didn't tell you?" She said offhandedly, her frosty facade melting for a moment, allowing a glimpse of burning pride beneath.

"Mitth'raw'nuruodo had been one of my brightest students."

 **THE END**

Come on, Eli, getting an access to Aristocra Formbi's gold mastercard and melting Admiral Ar'alani's heart is what I call a win-win. Next: Mr. Red Patch! Now, who could it possibly be, hmmm, I wonder...

BTW So I watched an interview with Timothy Zahn and found out that Eli is pronounced /ˈiːlaɪ/ (ee-lie). LOL. I've been pronouncing it as /ˈɛlɪ/ until now. ("e" as in end, "i" as in "ink"). Also, apparently it sounds like a very red neck name… ROFL. _Finally_ I get all the "Little Space Texan" jokes. Mind blown.


	4. Mr Red Patch

**Title: Mr. Red Patch**

* * *

"Mr. Red Patch!" Eli called after the nameless Chiss warrior who had been following him on his way to his assigned quarters, presumably making sure that Eli wouldn't do anything stupid, such as attempting to escape on the very first day of his so-called 'freedom.'

The sapphire blue Chiss blinked, his expression briefly clouding in confusion until his eyes slid down on the burgundy red patch on his right arm which instantly identified him as a member of a House belonging to the Eighth Ruling Family.

"I beg your pardon?" Mr. Red Patch said in response, clearly at a loss as to the highly unusual form of address.

"Well," Eli said awkwardly, letting out a small shrug, "I don't know how else to call you. You've never shared your name."

"Of course not." Mr. Red Patch confirmed. "You were not in a position to ask questions. I was."

Corners of Eli's lips quirked up.

"Well, where I come from, the interrogator usually introduce themselves to the prisoner. When the prisoner is being cooperative, that is." Eli clarified for the alien. ISB agents often came in pairs; a good ISB agent, and a bad one. The latter didn't share their name.

"I just want to say thank you, I guess. You could have made it a hell for me. You didn't." Eli confessed in a low tone of voice. "You simply asked questions."

Mr. Red Patch tilted his head to a side. "It is not in Chiss nature to be cruel."

Eli barked out sharp laugh, biting his tongue to stop himself from saying _'I thought you people didn't have jokes?'_ No, Mr. Red Patch would not have appreciated his come back.

The glowing eyes narrowed.

"We are far from... icicles, Mitth'eli'vanto." Mr. Red Patch growled out angrily, as if reading his mind. He might have hidden behind the corner but he had been listening. On the other hand, he would make a very lousy agent if he didn't.

Eli let out a long, deep breath. "I'm sorry. It's just you people aren't a very hospitable bunch. And you aren't exactly a cheery lot either."

Mr. Red Patch regarded him for a while, until he finally inclined his head.

"I suppose we must seem … cold to your species if the majority of humans exhibits the same behavioral patterns as you do. I am Murofu'oro'ratu, Central Commander of the Expansionary Forces." The Chiss opted for the literal translation as it did not have a clear rank equivalent in Sy Bisti. In Galactic Basic, Eli supposed, it would probably make him the Commander in Chief.

Eli blinked. "Oh."

The corners of the sapphire blue lips twitched. "You didn't think we would have an ordinary warrior lead your interrogation, did you?"

Eli felt the warmth coming to his cheeks. "Well, the ISB would have probably send over a senior field agent?"

The Central Commander made a scornful sound. "Based on what you have told me, the Imperial Security Bureau are mere amateurs."

Eli snickered. Oh, this was pure gold. However, something told him that the ISB Director would take the Chiss's professional assessment somewhat personally.

"Ah, well, anyway, that's all I wanted to say, I guess," Eli admitted sheepishly. "Just… thank you."

Mr. Red Patch nodded, the expression on the sapphire blue face unreadable.

"I've been wondering, if, perhaps, you would be willing to share more stories about the humankind." He begun, his steady voice holding an uncharacteristic hesitation. "Less... circumstantial, merely to satisfy my own curiosity. For example I was fascinated by what you had said about the custom of celebration in the Galactic Empire. There is nothing even remotely similar in the Chiss Ascendancy."

Eli scratched his head. "You guys don't celebrate? At all?"

While it was true that Eli couldn't exactly imagine these icicles drinking themselves down into oblivion, or throwing a wild, Zeltron-style party, still he would have expected even the Chiss needed to unwind once in a while.

The Central Commander cocked up an eyebrow. "I said no such thing. There are many ceremonies. And we _do_ celebrate, however, based on what you have told me, it is done on a much smaller scale compared to the Galactic Empire. Among the Chiss, celebration is saved until the job is done."

"Even if it is never-ending?"

"If it isn't ended, the celebration is false."

"No, it's necessary." Eli opposed. "Well, at least for us humans. It's vital for our mental health. We can't function properly without fun."

"Yes, _fun_ ," Mr. Red Patch repeated the word thoughtfully. "I've found the human concept of entertainment most intriguing. Not to mention the things you seemed to find amusing in your captivity or the questions you found humorous during our interrogation sessions."

 _Oh yeah, there is nothing quite like a prisoner laughing his ass off during an interrogation_ , Eli mused. _It must have blown his Chiss brain._ Still, it was probably for the best the Chiss didn't really get why answering the summons from the Dark Lord had been nicknamed a choking hazard.

"While it is true that in some cases I simply lacked the necessary information to fully appreciate the peculiarity of your replies, I must admit that my mind has been unable to grasp the concept of, what you have called, a _joke_. Especially the one regarding the Clone Troopers. I find nothing humorous about their identical appearance."

Eli cackled, remembering the particular session: _A clone trooper walks into a pub and asks the barman, 'Hey, have you seen my brother?' And the barman says: 'Dunno. What does he look like?'_

"Yeah, well, it doesn't compute, I guess," Eli said dryly, and he barked out another laugh at seeing the sapphire blue face cloud in confusion.

"Was that supposed to be yet another joke?" Mr. Red Patch asked with 'what the kriff' expression all over his face. "Never mind. Perhaps we could continue this conversation elsewhere? I would be honored if you joined me for a family dinner at my home."

Eli gaped at the Chiss. "Umm, sure? I mean, the honor is mine."

Eli mentally cursed himself for such a casual acknowledgment. The offer took him completely by surprise. After the treatment he had received, it seemed almost too good to be true. "Just to make things clear, Central Commander, why do I have the feeling that whatever I say during the dinner somehow makes it into the official record?"

Mr. Red Patch stared for him for a moment, until finally the sapphire blue lips quirked up in a small smile.

"Have you expected anything else, Mitth'eli'vanto?"

"So anything I say may be used against me?" Eli asked, even though he knew the answer to his question.

"I do not plan to use your own words against you, Mitth'eli'vanto," Mr. Red Patch said in a carefully modulated tone. "However, essentially you are correct in your assumptions. It may happen."

Eli closed his eyes for a brief moment. He really shouldn't have expected anything else. The Central Commander was apparently the type who took their work home.

"Let's go then. What could possibly go wrong? Where is the bad agent, by the way?"

Eli looked around mockingly, pretending to look out for another Chiss.

"The bad agent?" Mr. Red Patch repeated slowly, his eyes slowly trailing Eli's body movements.

"You know," Eli said dryly, "the bad agent. Remember what I've told you about the ISB? You're the good agent, the one who asks questions. The bad agent is the one who doesn't. So who would it be, huh?"

The Central Commander frowned. "My wife, naturally. She has no military training and she doesn't speak a word of Sy Bisti."

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

Disclaimer:

 **Murofu'oro'ratu (core name Fuoror)** is an original Chiss character created by cystemic on tumblr. I love cystemic's and humansrsuperior's fanarts (and the name - OMG DAT NAME!) so much I decided to make Fuoror part of the Freak Fleet verse with cystemic's permission. Fufu is a big boy now, with wife and kids and everything...


	5. From Csilla with Love 1

MissKitsune08's note:

While I put an obligatory disclaimer at the beginning of this story, I'd like to remind you once again that the worldbuilding in his chapter comes directly from _Force Heretic II: Refugee_. No copyright infringement intended.

 **Title: From Csilla with Love (1/3)**

* * *

It turned out Central Commander Murofu'oro'ratu did not live in Csaplar, the capital of Csilla; instead he lived in the underground city of Ac'siel, which had been built in an incredibly complicated network of ice caves.

Eli studied his surroundings as he walked through the maze of tunnels, his curiosity piqued by the strange translucent substance that made up the walls. It appeared to be ice, but when he reached out to touch it he found it warm and dry.

"It is indeed ice, Mitth'eli'vanto," Mr. Red Patch said in an amused tone, as if reading his mind. "The tunnels hold together thanks to the field generators you can see over there," he pointed at a frame of silver metal that seemed to define the corridors. "They provide the boundary between the ice and the warmth, insulating the corridors from cold as well as heating up the air we are breathing."

Eli frowned, his hand still on the ice, or rather on the thin force field that prevented the heat from escaping. "Isn't it expensive?"

Mr. Red Patch shook his head.

"Not at all. It is rather difficult to explain but essentially the connecting corridors are heated only when they are being used. If empty, the heat generators switch off automatically, thus minimizing the power drain. It is a very effective way of maintaining and creating new the tunnels through the ice, as well as incredibly cheap thanks to the geothermal energy from the planet's core."

"Cool," Eli said, impressed at the Chiss creativity, hurrying after his guide who continued his walk in silence.

His ears popped as they passed the last of the field generators and the heated bubble dissolved around him. A smell of flowers struck him, and he found himself inside of a wide cave that was thick with vegetation. The ceiling hung far above, with bright tubes that ran its length, lighting the whole area. So this was Mr. Broze Patch's home. One of Ac'siel's many suburbs. Or whatever they called it over here.

"Wow," Eli breathed out, amazed at the incredible sight. He crouched down, touching the nearest plant, inhaling the smell of its single blossom. It brought a sense of normality amidst the extreme weather conditions, a feeling of warmth he had not expected to find in this kingdom of isolation. He decided to preserve the bloom, even if it was a mere fleeting beauty. He looked up, staring at the high ceiling and the glittering cave formations far above, wondering whether there was yet another invisible force field to ensure they would not have fallen down on the ground in case of an orbital bombardment or an earthquake. Mostly likely there was, the Chiss were very practical people.

"Later I shall have to take you into one of the uninhabited karst caves, which we have chosen to preserve for their speleothems," the Central Commander spoke quietly, taking in Eli's surprised, wide eyed look.

Eli cleared his throat, embarrassed. It didn't sound half-bad at all, he's never been into a karst cave before. "So caving is like a popular hobby among the Chiss?"

Mr. Red Patch slowly inclined his head. "Yes, spelunking is considered to be one of the most popular free-time activities on Csilla. The other would be glacier climbing, of course. Nothing can possibly match the breathtaking beauty of the moving icebergs of Csilla."

"I think I'll pass with that one." Eli shuddered, hugging himself protectively. "I'm afraid the surface is a bit too cold for me. Even near the equator."

The closer to the Csilla's surface, the colder it became, and on the other hand, the closer to the planet's core, the warmer until it could finally be called bearable.

The glowing eyes sparkled with amusement. "It is still summer, Mitth'eli'vanto. You have yet to see Csilla in its winter coat."

"Lovely. Too bad I didn't bring a swimsuit with me, then," Eli said dryly, his face cringing. If this was the summer, he didn't even want to imagine how the real winter looked like. He had expected a culture shock, of course, but he hadn't expected the temperature shock to be far worse. He thought Thrawn had been joking.

The Central Commander rewarded him a long, contemplative look, staring at him for what seemed like an eternity. "Come, _Eli_ ," he said finally with an undertone too alien for him to interpret, "for the dinner will get cold otherwise."

* * *

The built-in cave house could hardly be called big by Lysatra's standards, but at the same time it was still bigger than most apartments on Coruscant. Murofu'oro'ratu had taken him inside, asking him to leave his winter shoes by the entrance, then disappeared, returning with a pregnant Chiss female holding a tiny infant in her arms, with two little children trailing in her wake, a boy and a girl, looking about two to three years old, or at least by human standards; it was always difficult to guess the age of aliens.

[ Greetings ,] Eli said awkwardly in Cheunh, one of the few words he had managed to memorize on his way to the Ascendancy. Or rather that was what he had intended to say; from the way the children giggled and immediately covered their mouths it seemed it had come out as something else.

"Uh, what did I say?" He asked Murofu'oro'ratu who was trying his best to keep his face composed, Eli supposed.

Mr. Red Patch exchanged a knowing look with his wife. "It is not a question of _what_ you said but rather _how_ you said it. However, I would prefer if you refrained from speaking Cheunh in front of my children, _Eli_ , at least until you get past the basic pronunciation rules."

Eli's cheeks reddened in shame. Probably not the best first impression, then. "I'm sorry."

"It is of no consequence," Mr. Red Patch assured him, and then he switched into Cheunh, presumably explaining Eli's origins to his wife; Eli could only understand his own name, Thrawn's full name, and the word for a stranger.

"Mitth'eli'vanto," Mr. Red Patch returned his attention back to him, "meet my wife, Mahve'lia'ratu, and my children, Chu, Aha, and Vio," he gestured towards each.

It was more than apparent from their faces that the two children expected yet another hilarious mispronunciation, their expressions reminding him of those of the human children in a candy store. He let them down, unfortunately, simply waving at them in a universal gesture of greeting, silently praying the action didn't have a different connotation among the Chiss.

Chu, Aha, and Vio.

Eli.

His hand abruptly froze in midair. "Umm, what exactly does the central stem stand for? I know the first part is the House identifier, and the last part is the immediate family identifier, however, Thrawn never explained me the significance of the middle. Only that it constitutes a core name when all combined together."

Chu, Aha, and Vio.

Eli. No, it couldn't be…

"The three-letter central stem is a unique sound combination chosen by the child's biological parents," Mr. Red Patch said in a tone which suggested it was something he would prefer not to explain. "It is considered to be a term of endearment for one's own offspring as well as the usual means of address of the pre-teens."

Eli remembered telling Fleet Admiral Ar'alani to call him by his given name, unaware of the implications in Cheunh. Holy spirits of Lysatra, this was so embarrassing.

" _Alright_."

Eli considered taking a brief walk on the planet's icy surface and bury his head deep in the snow. "No more _Eli_ from now on. I'm not a child. _Theliv._ Call me Mitth'eli'vanto or Theliv. But don't you dare to Eli me from now on."

"Of course, _Theliv_." Mr. Red Patch said with a faint smile on the sapphire blue lips. "In that case you may address me as Fuoror."

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	6. From Csilla with Love 2

**Title: From Csilla with Love (2/3)**

* * *

Just like the food Eli had been served during his captivity, even the meat cooked by Fuoror's wife turned out to be too spice-heavy for his taste, making Eli briefly wonder whether the Chiss sense of taste was very different or simply underdeveloped compared to the one of a human. They might have possessed superior vision and keener hearing but for some reason they needed a whole gallon of spice to enjoy their dinner, totally killing the original flavor of the meal in the process.

Thrawn did that, too. The Grand Admiral never refused food he had been served, eating it down to the last bit, however, whenever he had a chance to spice things up to his liking, he put in enough to make everyone in the officer's mess hall stop and stare. It had become sort of an insider joke aboard the _Chimaera_ ; the Grand Admiral's eyes glowed due to the excessive amount of spice he put into his meals.

Or drinks. They put spice even into their drinks.

All drinks Eli'd had a chance to try had been either too sweet, too bitter, or too spicy with nothing in between. Even the local water was so rich with minerals it left an oddly metallic aftertaste on his tongue.

The first day his stomach rumbled loud enough to alert his guards for they actually came in asking whether or not he required medical assistance, but lately even his stomach grew resigned to his fate.

As did he.

Eli's trail of thoughts was interrupted by one of the children muttering something intelligible in Cheunh, a question clearly addressed at him; he didn't need to understand the language to know they were talking about him.

"Huh?" Eli raised his eyes from his food. "What did she say?"

"She said that you seem so sad," Mr. Red Patch translated for his daughter who had abandoned her food in the meanwhile, and walked over to Eli, using all her strength to climb up onto his lap, speaking more Cheunh.

"She doesn't want you to be sad," again Mr. Red Patch translated for her, putting down his fork-knife, observing the exchange with a genuine interest. The wife stopped eating as well.

"Tell her I'm feeling a little bit homesick, that is all," Eli said to the child and shifted his position so the child could sit on his lap more comfortably.

Another exchange in Cheunh followed, much longer than the previous one. Eli assumed Fuoror was trying to explain to his daughter that he came from a place far, far away for he could understand the words 'far', 'home', and an oddly accented Lysatra which stuck our like Huttesse amidst Basic. Then suddenly the child placed a palm on his right cheek and giggled, which resulted in mild admonishment from her father.

"Please forgive Aha's behavior," Fuoror said awkwardly. "You are the first non-Chiss she has ever seen. Naturally, she is curious. I explained to her that touching you in such careless manner is extremely rude."

Eli chuckled. "No, it's fine, actually," he said lightly, giving the girl a small smile in encouragement which prompted Aha to touch his other cheek.

Funny, how warm and welcoming Chiss children were compared to the adults, making him briefly wonder just how much of the cold, condescending behavior he had witnessed was a species trait, and how much it was a result of upbringing. If it wasn't for the color of the skin and the glowing red eyes, Aha could easily pass for a human child.

"What does she find so fascinating about my face?"

The Chiss child had her palms pressed against his cheeks, staring at his face with such intensity as if it was the most incredible thing in the universe.

Mr. Red Patch let out a discreet cough. "Your skin, I believe. Or rather the amount of infra-red glow emanated by your face. It is far greater than the one of a Chiss and it heavily corresponds with your current emotional state."

Eli stared at the child. "I'm sorry? What … What do you mean?"

Aha tilted her head to a side, looking at him with confusion.

"Don't tell me you're like walking lie detectors or something..."

Fuoror's face darkened; clearly he found Eli's comeback downright offensive.

"We are far from walking lie detectors, Mitth'eli'vanto." The Chiss addressed him by his full name, all familiarity gone in an instant. "And as for your original question: I do not know the composition of human eye or the exact range of human vision therefore I am unable to provide you with sufficient answer. However, generally speaking, Chiss sensory perception allows us to see thermal signatures in the snow as well as to see clearly in the dark underground tunnels. I assume that might be the reason why we are able to tell more than what you are comfortable to let us know. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do short of closing our eyes around you."

"I'm sorry." Eli muttered in an apology, watching Aha's eyes widen imperceptibly as she noticed his embarrassment. "That was careless of me. It's just... I feel too..."

Eli fell silent for a while, looking for the right word.

"Exposed," he said at last. "You know pretty much everything about me, and now you tell me that you can read my body better than a human. It is too much."

Sure, Fuoror could argue that he didn't get know every single detail in his life; there were things the Chiss were not interested in, things completely irrelevant to the present situation, and thanks the holy spirits of Lysatra Eli had been allowed keep at least _those_ things for himself. However, when it came to the major decisions in his life, and the reasoning behind them, Mr. Red Patch kept asking again, again and again, until Eli had spilled it all.

It was too much. He felt exposed, vulnerable, but most of all, he felt depressed.

His trail of thoughts was broken by the little Chiss girl who must have noticed his level of distress, pulling him into a tight embrace, or at least as much as her tiny arms allowed her; the Chiss boy, too, abandoned his food and climbed onto his lap, giving him a crushing hug, muttering something in a soothing tone.

"Unbelievable," Fuoror breathed out incredulously. "Who would have ever thought that Chiss children would bond so naturally with a human… I am curious what will be Admiral Ar'alani's opinion of this." He muttered, staring at his own daughter and son with utter disbelief.

Eli groaned. Yeah, he'd almost forgotten about the real reason as to why he was here in the first place.

"Don't you ever stop working, Commander?" Eli snapped, suppressing an urge to scream in frustration. "I get that you're studying me but… I really didn't need a reminder that whatever I say or do is being evaluated and dully noted."

"Forgive me," Fuoror said, giving him a small bow in apology, "that was, perhaps, insensitive of me."

Eli shrugged it off.

Since it looked like the dinner was over, Fuoror rose and helped his pregnant wife with the dishes, leaving Eli alone with the children who took it as their personal mission to put a smile back to his face. They showed him their toys: ship models, animal figures, and Cheunh picture book, teaching him names of the everyday objects, falling into a giggling fit whenever Eli tried to repeat what they said. Fuoror must have heard them, Eli supposed, but it seemed as if he decided to let it slide after everything that had transpired between them.

Finally, Fuoror returned, presumably telling the children to go to bed as it as it was getting late, and once the boy and the girl had left, he addressed Eli once again.

"I've been wondering whether you would not be opposed to playing a strategic board game against me?" Fuoror asked in a neutral tone. For the first time, it seemed like a purely personal request, not like something he had been told to do by his superiors.

"Why not?" Eli shrugged. He's always been fond of board games.

Mr. Red Patch nodded, and he took out a large box from one of the shelves on the wall, placing it atop the low table; it turned out to be a gameboard with the squares arranged in a grid.

"We call this game _Shah'tezh_ in Cheunh," Fuoror said, taking out weird looking, multi-colored figures, placing them on the board in a strangely familiar pattern, and then he proceeded to explain the basic rules.

"I know this game." Eli broke into a wide grin. "It's called 'chess' on Lysatra, only the grid is smaller and the figures have different names. We call them the king, the queen, the rooks, the knights, the bishops, and the pawns. In the Galactic Empire, there is a popular variant called 'dejarik' in which holographic figures fight each other on a round, checkered board. It's quite brutal, actually."

Eli took one of the figures, the Chiss version of the king, giving it a long, measuring glance. It looked nothing alike its Galactic counterpart.

Mr. Red Patch stared at him. "Fascinating. I did not expect you to know this game. I do not remember the name of the Chiss sage who had designed it but as far as I am aware, the game is definitely of the Chiss origin."

Eli stoke his chin, deep in thoughts. "Well, the Chiss had been in contact with the galaxy millennia ago, right?"

Or at least according to Thrawn.

"Could it be possible that the game has been named after you?" Eli speculated. "Chiss. Chess. Sounds like someone had seen you playing and named it after you guys."

Fuoror tilted his head to the side. "It is possible. I do not have the same security clearance as Mitth'raw'nurudo had before leaving for the Galactic Empire, therefore I am unable confirm your most interesting theory. Until your interrogation, I had been unaware that the Chiss Ascendancy had ever been in contact with the Uncivilized Territories."

"You're not gonna dig deeper?" Eli suggested, hoping the Chiss curiosity would win over the deeply engraved sense of duty.

"No." Fuoror said in a tone which broke no argument. "Whatever reasons the ancestors had for allying themselves with the Sith Empire, whatever reasons they had for changing their minds, and engaging in the policy of near total isolation instead, I am sure they were valid."

Eli shrugged. "Let's play, then?" He said with a smirk. "I can't wait to show you that there is more to me than the cute little package."

Mr. Bronze Patch returned the smirk with a one of his own. "As you wish, Theliv."

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

According to Zahn's official FB page, Timothy Zahn named Chiss after the game of chess, but in the Freak Fleet verse it's the exact opposite. Naturally. But who knows, perhaps name of the Chiss sage happened to be Timo'thy'zahn... Totally sounds like a Chiss name, doesn't it?

And Shah-Tezh is apparently the original game on which the chess, dejarik and other variants were based in Canon. Palpatine plays it with Gallius Rax in _Aftermath: Empire's End_.

In case you haven't played _Star Wars: The Old Republic_ , you may be interested in watching "SWTOR - Imperial Agent Thrawn (Complete)" by suicune2001 on youtube.


	7. From Csilla with Love 3

**Title: From Csilla with Love (3/3)**

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Eli found himself losing a knight and a rook. Mr. Red Patch, on the other hand, had lost both bishops as well as both rooks, and now he even lost one of his knights. Moreover, from the look of annoyance that flickered over the sapphire blue features it was becoming apparent that he expected Eli would be long defeated by now. Eli suppressed a smirk; finally the Chiss would get to know that there was more to him than the cute little package.

"It seems that I owe you an apology, Theliv," Fuoror stroke his chin thoughtfully, acknowledging the loss of a knight.

Eli grinned. "One should not judge a book by its cover."

Or so went the old Lysatran saying which lost its meaning once he had found himself offworld; the Galactic Empire stored all data electronically. However, a single look at the impressive bookshelf behind the Chiss told Eli that the idiom should naturally translate from Sy Bisti into Cheunh.

"Of course not." Mr. Red Patch frowned. "The cover says absolutely nothing of its literary value. Who in the universe would judge a book by its cover?"

Or then, maybe not.

Eli chuckled. "Humans."

The Chiss blinked, going completely still for a moment. "That … does sound like something a human would do, I suppose, especially given your highly erratic, completely irrational behavior during the interrogation."

Auch. A low kick.

"Which is why I find this..." The Chiss continued, making an absent-minded hand gesture in the direction of the chessboard. "So difficult to believe."

In other words, he was losing.

"I do not understand," Mr. Red Patch admitted grudgingly, looking at Eli with a new pair of eyes. "You showed no display of strategy before. I and Admiral Ar'alani were wondering whether it was supposed to be a theatre of the absurd play but in the end we came into the conclusion that you were being sincere."

Eli flashed him a small smirk. "That's because Thrawn told me simply to be myself and cooperate with your guys. Now I am using strategy." He declared boldly as he claimed one of Fuoror's remaining pawns.

Mr. Red Patch nodded. "Yes. Yes, you are. An unexpected development." The glowing eyes rewarded him with a long, penetrating look. "You are enjoying this match very much. You seem… Happy?"

A blue-black eyebrow cocked up.

"Thrilled? Delighted?"

Eli let out a cackle. "For beating the crap out of the guy who made me submit to his questioning for weeks?" He clipped, raising his chin high. "You bet I am."

Fuoror merely smiled. "Check." He said casually, threatening Eli's king with his queen and a knight.

Eli bit his tongue, suppressing a wince. The sneaky son of a Chiss let him boast on purpose in an attempt to distract him! Fortunately he managed to get the king away from the Chiss's grasp but it was at the cost of sacrificing his other rook. Damn. Not good. Not good at all. He needed to get rid of the Chiss's queen. Fast.

He let out a deep exhale, calming himself down, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before planning his next move; the following ten minutes passed in silence, with the two of them quietly chasing after each other's kings, deflecting each other's checks.

"Have you ever played against Mitth'raw'nuruodo?" Mr. Red Patch raised his eyes from the game, steepling his fingers in front of his face. The gesture very much reminded him of Thrawn.

Eli shook his head. "No. Unfortunately I've never had the chance. You?" He prompted. "Have you even met?"

Fuoror kept staring at him so long that Eli thought the Chiss would never answer. "Yes. We served together in the past. In fact, I was present during the fiasco which led to his ultimate fate. To tell the truth, I expected I would be punished alongside with Mith'raw'nuruodo."

The Chiss paused, staring intently at the chess pieces. However, it was clear from his expression that Fuoror's mind was elsewhere. "Now, of course, Admiral Ar'alani's suggestion and the final decision of the Ruling Council make perfect sense in hindsight."

"You have looked up to him, didn't you?" Eli said.

He didn't know what exactly Thrawn had done, only that it was a pre-emptive strike which the Chiss Ascendancy could never officially approve. Thrawn had carried out the dirty work for the Defense Hierarchy, and he had gotten himself exiled in the process, a harsh but necessary measure to cut all official ties between him and the Ascendancy.

Fuoror slowly inclined his head.

"Naturally. He had been my commanding officer. In a manner of speaking, I still admire him. You must understand, Theliv, the cold, inhospitable climate of Csilla has made us into a collective species. The mind of a Chiss suffers greatly when we find ourselves beyond the borders of the Chiss Ascendancy surrounded by outsiders. That is the true reason why the exile, and not a solitary confinement, is considered to be the greatest punishment among the Chiss."

Fuoror turned his head in the direction of the bookshelves, staring blankly at the covers. "And while Mitth'raw'nuruodo has my deepest respects for making the most of his exile, I have no desire to share his fate … or Stent's fate for that matter. But then, a Chiss who had found himself in his position had a very little to lose, I suppose."

Eli frowned. He didn't know the other Chiss; Thrawn had told him only that a group of rogue warriors led by a Chiss named Stent had joined the Task Force Admonitor, giving the birth to what Thrawn had called Mitth'raw'nuruodo's Household Phalanx. Something told Eli that this Stent, too, had been kept unaware of the true nature of Thrawn's exile. And it wouldn't be Thrawn, naturally, if he didn't make most of this mysterious Stent's desertion.

"So you agree with the Ruling Council, then?" Eli's eyes narrowed. Could humans and the other beings of the galaxy ever become more than mere pawns in the eyes of the Chiss Ascendancy? Thrawn had elevated humans into members of his own House; slightly deviating from his secret orders by promoting his own warriors into more valuable chess pieces, however, at the end of the day, they were still his assigned chess pieces in a game he had been told to play.

"What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean, Central Commander." Eli addressed Mr. Red Patch by his rank. "What the Chiss Ascendancy wants isn't an alliance. It's charric-fodder. If they wanted a true alliance, they wouldn't have come up with such ridiculously secretive, overly complicated plan."

Fuoror's expression darkened.

"How dare you make such outrageous accusations after I had invited you into my home, human. Perhaps a night spent outside would teach you manners." The Chiss hissed, a strange reptilian sound; his whole body stiffened, his fists clenching in anger. He looked as if he was about to leap up, grab him by his collar, and throw him out into the cold.

Eli jerked in shock.

Then abruptly, the Chiss let out a long, deep sigh, the tension in his posture slowly emanating from his body, the glow of the red eyes returning back to normal.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Theliv." Fuoror said after a full minute of awkward silence. "Now, after meeting a representative of your species, I highly doubt the current members of the Ruling Council agree with the decision their own predecessors had made. However, what has been done cannot be undone."

Eli briefly wondered what the current Fifth Councilor, Aristocra Formbi, thought of the master plan when he had been first made aware of its existence, but considering their exchange in the main hallway, he doubted the word 'conscience' ever made it into the icicle's Sy Bisti dictionary. Hell. The word probably never made it even into his Cheunh vocabulary to begin with.

"And as for Admiral Ar'alani…" Fuoror took a moment to gather his thoughts. "You are greatly mistaken in her, Theliv. Her heart is not made from ice, right on the contrary. You must understand her position… No. I don't think you will ever be able to truly understand her position." There was an undertone of pain and something too alien for him to interpret.

"In any case, Mitth'raw'nuruodo can hardly be considered a victim of the Ruling Council's decision. After all, it is a variation of his own rather controversial, unconventional approach on warfare."

Eli let out a loud snort. "Thrawn never claimed innocence."

"No." Mr. Red Patch agreed wistfully. "He never did."

Another long, awkward silence followed.

"What are you going to do with the new knowledge, Commander?" Eli decided to break the silence first, looking at the chessboard. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation he lost the desire to continue in this match.

Fuoror shrugged. "I would have learned of the plan sooner or later as I am to be the replacement of the elderly admiral you have seen."

Eli blinked. "But if you're about to become a member of the Defense Hierarchy..." His eyes darted over in the direction of the living room. "Then it means you will have to give them up."

"Eventually. Yes." Fuoror said in a tone full of regret. "However, the man you met is still fully functional. Hopefully he will not retire until my children come of age."

Eli ran a hand through his hair. "What is your collective malfunction?!" Honestly, he didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. "What a wonderful promotion bonus."

The glowing eyes gleamed dangerously. "Enough," Fuoror spoke in a tone belonging to a man who was used to giving orders and having them obeyed.

Eli closed his eyes. "I'm sorry." He apologized quietly. "How did you met each other, by the way? If it's permissible to ask, of course."

The Chiss tilted his head to a side. "It was an arranged marriage, naturally."

Eli winced, he couldn't help it. "Naturally." He repeated dryly. "Have you ever … you know, have you ever done anything spontaneous in your life? Or have you always done as you were told?"

Fuoror frowned. "The Chiss don't do what they want, Theliv, they do what is expected of them." The other countered immediately. His voice was sharp. Too sharp, in fact.

"Of course," Eli nodded in agreement, "because if you did what you wanted then your whole society would crumble and fall apart."

He thought of the sleeping children, so very alike human ones. When would the transformation take place? When would they be expected to start behaving like proper Chiss adults? Soon, Eli suspected. He wouldn't be surprised if the teenagers were given the responsibilities of adults in an attempt to erase the teenage rebellious streak that all near-human races seemed to have.

"The Chiss, despite the impression I might have given you, are a thoughtful people. Deliberate, calculating, but not above a flight of fantasy or two. They are not averse to wondering where they would be, had life been different. Whom they would have met, how they would have met, what would have become of them."

Eli regarded Mr. Red Patch for a while. "So what would have become of you had your life been different?"

"I have invited you into my home partially in an attempt to give you an opportunity to see us in a different light. A better light." Fuoror said in a disappointed tone, deflecting the original question. "Clearly I have failed."

Eli started putting the chess pieces back to the box; he had no desire to rub the salt into the wound by beating the Chiss down in the game. "Well, it's rather difficult considering most of the time you guys behave as if you had no feelings. It can't be good to suppress your emotions all the time."

"Suppress?" Fuoror echoed faintly. "You are greatly mistaken, Theliv. We do not suppress emotions. We treasure them. We merely avoid behaving irresponsibly such as acting out of strong emotion."

"Oh really?" Eli asked skeptically.

Mr. Red Patch made an absent-minded gesture toward the bookshelves. "We acknowledge our emotions by writing down how we feel. Memoirs. Poetry. Essays. Those who are gifted in visual arts paint pictures or create sculptures."

"What a moment." Eli stammered, his eyes flickering over the unfamiliar titles. It was all in Cheunh, unfortunately. He couldn't understand a thing. "You've written all this?!"

Mr. Red Patch seemed uneasy. "Not all of them. Some were written by my friends and colleagues, some were written by my favorite professional authors. I am a mere hobbyist."

Eli made a porg face. "Come on, I'm dying to read what you've written. You wanted to show the Chiss in a different light. Well this is your big chance."

Come on, Mr. Red Patch. Come on.

The Chiss sat there for a while, his expression unreadable, until finally he gave Eli a shy nod. Slowly, sheepishly, he walked over to the bookshelf and took out one of the volumes, flipping a couple of pages, his face frowning in concentration as he thought hard of the approximate translation into Sy Bisti.

"Before my bed, the moon is shining bright,

I think that it is frost upon the ground.

I raise my head and look at the bright moon,

I lower my head and think of home." (*)

Eli openly gaped at the Chiss; however, before he could think of a response, Mr. Red Patch snapped the book shut, and with that the brief excursion into what went behind the glowing red eyes ended before it even began.

"Good night, Theliv."

* * *

Soundlessly, Fuoror closed the door to the bedroom and turned to face his wife; Eliara had already finished breastfeeding Chu and placed him into the cradle. "Are they all asleep?" She asked in a low tone of voice, careful not to wake Vio and Aha in the adjoining room.

Fuoror nodded.

"What does Mitth'raw'nuruodo think he is doing this time?" Eliara wondered, her azure blue face marring in a frown. She knew nothing of the human's origins, naturally, and she knew nothing of what had transpired in the Ruling Council's chambers. He would not tell her. He could not tell her. They never talked about his work at home. She was not privy to the military secrets.

"Mitth'raw'nuruodo knows exactly what he is doing," Fuoror said gravely; he walked over to the bed, sat down on the mattress and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Eliara came from one of the colony words that belonged to the Path of the Houses, an inhospitable planet with an atmosphere harmful to the Chiss, but at the same time a world rich with mineral resources that the commoners mined for the society. It had resulted in a dark shade of her skin, much darker than the powder blue of the Csilla-born Chiss.

Far darker than his own sapphire blue skin, a byproduct of Naporar harsh climate. They both worked so incredibly hard to get accepted into their respective Houses, and entered a promising union so their descendants could grow up on Csilla among the elite.

The elite. He wondered, briefly, whether it would constitute a joke among the humans. Probably not. If so, it would be a very bad one, Fuoror supposed. No matter how hard he tried to understand Mitth'eli'vanto, the complexity of human humor still escaped him.

"The question is," Fuoror said as he lowered himself next to his wife, pulling her into an embrace from behind; now that Theliv's interrogation was over, it was entirely possible he would be recalled back to the frontier, and who knew when he would return back home.

"What is it that we are doing."

 **THE END**

Disclaimer:

(*) The poem featured in this fic "Quiet Night Thought" 靜夜思 was written by one of the most famous Chinese ancient poets, Li Bai 李白. This is one of the many English translations.


	8. Ready Player Two

**Title: Ready Player Two**

* * *

Now that Fuoror returned back to the frontier, once again Eli found himself alone in the capital of this little kingdom of isolation. Due to his exotic appearance he stuck out like a Wookiee at a formal Imperial reception, and while he had received numerous sideways looks, piquing the Chiss curiosity more than once, none of the locals tried to engage him in casual conversation. Only the shopkeepers muttered a few polite phrases in more or less passable Sy Bisti, such as "How can I be of an assistance, foreign trader?" or "Have you come from a place far, far away, honored merchant?"

Even though Eli realized that they hadn't been doing it on purpose, it was getting on his nerves. He wasn't a _kriffing_ foreign trader, he was Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto! Once, had actually blurted out loud. Fortunately, the Chiss shopkeeper never heard of the Basic word _kriffing_ , misinterpreting the situation as his own failing, apologizing to Eli for not being fluent in Sy Bisti.

And as for the Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto part, the shopkeeper had repeated the name and title with a faint smile on the pale blue lips, telling Eli that he had always been fond of non-Chiss humor, especially Killik.

Eli had nearly howled in desperation.

Which was the reason why he had decided to visit Fuoror's wife earlier today; even though she couldn't speak a word of Sy Bisti, Eli could help her with baby-sitting, and practice his Cheunh pronunciation with the children who threw a giggling fit whenever he opened his mouth.

And it was also the reason why he finally accepted Admiral Ar'alani's invitation for an afternoon trip to the planet's surface. After all, the worst thing that could happen to him was freezing to death.

Only the member of the Defense Hierarchy didn't expect him to climb the moving icebergs of Csilla as the outdoor equipment would suggest; they had passed the icy crust of the great equatorial ocean a good hour ago, and continued driving in the direction of the north pole, inhospitable even by the Chiss standards.

"Here we are, Mitth'eli'vanto," Admiral Ar'alani turned off the engine, revealing the point of their destination; a small, seemingly abandoned facility in the most remote area of the Chiss homeworld.

"What's this?" Eli wondered as he put on heavy winter coat, snow boots, and the breathing equipment he had been given; the outside air was too thin; and even if it wasn't, his nose would probably freeze solid if he didn't wear the offered mask.

"A secret base?"

"You will see." She said cryptically, putting on a breathing mask of her own, motioning him to follow her into the old warehouse which looked like as if it were to fall apart any moment. Once they managed to open the heavy charric-proof doors, they had found themselves inside of a nicely furnished, modern-looking interior, complete with insulation against the cold, automatic lights, and breathable atmosphere.

"A super secret base, then," Eli murmured softly as he removed his facial mask, shaking his head at the security measures. Admiral Ar'alani ignored his dry retort and removed her winter gear as well, walking over to a turbolift, pressing a handful of buttons―presumably entering an entrance code―then gestured Eli to follow her inside.

Either the turbolift happened to be extremely slow and inefficient or they were going near the planet's core since the journey was taking forever. No, Eli didn't suffer from claustrophobia but as he inwardly counted the levels, he swore that if the doors didn't open soon, he would probably develop fear from enclosed space.

Finally, the turbolift announced it reached its destination with a soft beep, and Admiral Ar'alani pushed the doors with a dramatic sweep.

"Welcome to the Expeditionary Library, Mitth'eli'vanto," the middle-aged Chiss woman said with pride in her voice, spreading her arms wide as she walked, "as far as I am aware, you are the very first Non-Chiss to step through these doors."

Eli rewarded her with a dull look. _All the fuss because of a library?_ _What kind of forbidden texts are you guys storing here? The ones worshiping the lords of the Nine Hells of Corellia? Or the witches of Danthomir?_

Fortunately, Admiral Ar'alani paid little attention to him, looking around the enormous underground library complex with a dream-like expression on the icy blue features.

"Within these walls is stored the very essence of the Chiss people, the rare volumes dating back to the earliest days of the Chiss history," she said in near reverence.

"Priceless essays on the mysteries of the universe, the meaning of life, servitude to the Chiss, the Family, the Hierarchy, and," she paused for a second, flashing him a conspiratorial wink, "the classified information on the Borderlands collected by the Chiss Expansionary Defense Forces."

Eli stared.

"Something tells me the Expeditionary Library is not accessible to the general public, Admiral," he said, looking around the giant chamber with mild suspicion. It took a moment to grasp the scale; larger than a docking bay, vast and rectangular, with endless rows containing an innumerable amount of rare books and intelligence reports.

"Then it is indeed fortunate that this complex is being taken care of by the Inrokini Family, my own former House to be more precise," Admiral Ar'alani said nonchalantly, putting her hands behind her back in a manner that reminded him of Thrawn.

"And that I happen to know it is in a _desperate_ need of a new librarian."

Eli's heart skipped a beat. "So you believe in Thrawn's message, then?" He asked hopefully, trying his best to remain composed and failing. "That humans are the key to defeating the Far Outsiders? That there are things which the human heart can notice but the rational mind of a Chiss cannot?"

Admiral Ar'alani shook her head. "No." She said wistfully. "I do not. However, Mitth'raw'nuruodo clearly does, and I am this point I am willing to try anything to save my people from total extinction, Mitth'eli'vanto." Her expression softened. "And yours, if you are able to find something we have either overlooked or dismissed as irrelevant."

Eli found himself unable to breathe; so much responsibility rested upon his shoulders, so many lives depending on him. With the help of the Chiss Defense Fleet, they could significantly cut the number of losses when the Far Outsiders came, and perhaps, just perhaps, they wouldn't even need the sithspawn that Thrawn had deemed to be the necessary evil, letting him run rampant in the galaxy.

"Naturally, _Eli_ , I do not expect to see the results immediately," she added soothingly once her eyes fell on his shaking hands. "Most books are available only in Cheunh, but perhaps you could start with those in Sy Bisti or Minnisiat."

 _And perhaps I should translate them into Galactic Basic_ , Eli mused internally as his eyes scanned the enormous underground complex. In any case, until he became fluent in Cheunh, he didn't have a much to do.

"If you show me to the computer terminal, I'll get started."

 _I can do this! I know I can!_ Eli nearly jumped with joy. _I can show the might, self-righteous Chiss Ascendancy just how wrong they've been about the so-called Uncivilized Territories. And then I can convince them to_ _―_

"Terminal?" Admiral Ar'alani repeated, frowning. "We store _books_ here, not electronic data. The Chiss have always stored sensitive information in this fashion. It is safe, secure, and permanent. We have lost too much data in ice storms to trust other, more complicated forms of storage."

 _Shavit_.

* * *

Eli let out a deep sigh as he returned from his little excursion to the Expeditionary Library; translating documents written on the same, soft, silk-like fabric he had seen used for personal correspondence would take more time than he had originally anticipated.

It would take a lifetime. Or two.

There was absolutely no way he could have possibly managed the feat on his own. Perhaps he could translate the texts written in Sy Bisti but the books written in the variations of Cheunh (ranging from modern to the ancient scrolls written in old Cheunh) were beyond his respective capabilities of a non-native speaker.

Holy spirits of Lysatra, it would be a real challenge even for a Chiss who majored in classical literature.

Eli stopped in the middle of a corridor; there was a female Chiss standing in front of the door of his assigned quarters, with medium-length hair neatly put in place with an ornate clip, wearing the same unisex dress-tunic he had seen most Chiss civilians wearing.

Only the color was yellow.

Eli frowned. It was convenient that the Chiss wore their allegiance colors with pride so one could immediately see with whom he was dealing with, on the other hand it meant she must have been one of Aristocra Formbi's henchmen or whatever they called it over here.

Now what could the cold, calculating son of a Chiss possibly have in mind?

The woman, girl, (she couldn't have been more than twenty in human years) pressed the door chime to Eli's quarters, patiently waiting for the answer. When there was none, she tried one more time, until she finally gave up and turned around, thus noticing him.

"Oh, you are fair haired," she breathed out softly in a heavily accented but still understandable Sy Bisti, the glowing eyes widening; then she flinched.

"Forgive me, my lord," she hurriedly added in apology, giving him a deep, humble bow reserved for formal occassions, not so dissimilar to the one Eli had given to Aristocra Formbi.

"My name is Chaf'iae'tarthi. Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano has sent me to tend to your needs and teach you Cheunh, Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto."

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

Chaf'iae'tarthi. Hmmm... I wonder what is her relation to Kres'ten'tarthi.

Admiral Ar'alani's former allegiance is officially unknown. For the purpose of this fic, she belonged to the Inrokini Family before giving up her status to become a member of the Defense Hierarchy.

Expeditionary Library - (Wookieepedia/Legends) _was a massive underground library located under the ice of the Chiss Ascendancy's capital planet of Csilla. The library contained the documents and works produced from the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force's exploration of the Unknown Regions, with most of it translated into Basic and in written form to prevent losing any data to ice storms. In 28 ABY, a Galactic Alliance–Imperial Remnant group led by Jedi Master Luke Skywalker visited the Chiss library in hopes of finding the location of the sentient world Zonama Sekot, and succeeded in pinpointing the position of the planet to the Klasse Ephemora system._


	9. Icebergs Melt

**Title: Icebergs Melt**

* * *

"Where is Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano going with this?" Eli asked his guest once they were in the privacy of his assigned quarters. He suggested Chaf'iae'tarthi to have a seat but she declined, informing him that she had merely come to introduce herself.

"His Highness has gratuitously decided to provide Your Lordship with a Cheunh teacher. The name is pronounced Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, not Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, by the way." She pointed out, the corners of her lips twitching. Considering how cold-blooded the Chiss were, the mispronunciation had to be either highly offensive or entertaining. Or both.

"Sounds same to me," Eli said dismissively, sitting down on the armchair, and crossed his legs. Of all the Chiss names, this one had the lowest priority after the Fifth Councilor had brought Eli to tears in the main hallway of the House Palace.

"I see." She nodded, lowering her eyes, then added: "Regardless, it is imperative you learned to hear the difference if you wish to truly understand Cheunh, my lord."

"Oh please." Eli murmured. "Stop addressing me as 'my lord.'"

"How do you wish to be addressed, then?"

"Just… Theliv." He shrugged. In all honestly, he wished nothing more than to be called by his given name but it sounded like a child's name in Cheunh. Theliv had to do.

"Mitth'eli'vanto," he supplied, seeing the look of apprehension on her face. Chiss rarely called each other by core names as it was reserved for family members and close friends. So far, Fuoror and his family were the only ones with whom Eli was on the core name basis.

"As you wish."

She stood up a little straighter, finally showing a hint of the omni-present Chiss pride. Whatever respect she had for the title of an assistant syndic, it was gone. Great. "If I may be so bold, then, your name is Mitth'eli'vanto, not Mitth'eli'vanto."

Eli groaned. "Mitth'eli'vanto?"

"Mitth'eli'vanto." She corrected him.

"Mitth'eli'vanto." Eli repeated slowly.

"No."

"What language is this?"

"Cheunh." Chaf'iae'tarthi replied with a frown as if she didn't understand the sarcasm behind his words.

Eli sighed.

He had been given a brief introduction to the Chiss language by Thrawn: Cheunh was a complex, dense tongue that used comparatively few core words and an involved syntax to express ideas; more complicated ideas were expressed by combining related words into a larger whole.

The written form of Cheunh was represented ideographically.

In other words, Eli would have to memorize the characters that represented words, concepts, or whole ideas (including the correct stroke order!). Little wonder they used Sy Bisti or Minnisiat in inter-stellar trade with other species.

"While it is certainly possible to survive with Sy Bisti alone, you will never be accepted by the Chiss society unless you get proficient in Cheunh, Mitth'eli'vanto," she said with uttermost conviction.

Eli let out a small chuckle empty of all amusement. He seriously doubted that Cheunh proficiency would earn him the status of a true Chiss. Still, he had his reasons to tackle the nightmarish language.

"What if I don't wish to become a Chiss?" He said instead, causing Chaf'iae'tarthi to grow very still.

"Nonetheless, it is imperative you learned to pronounce at least your own name correctly," she insisted.

Eli's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Oh? And why is that?"

"I do not know." She blinked. "His Highness only told me that I am to be personally responsible for teaching you how pronounce your own name correctly in Cheunh."

Eli's eyes narrowed further. "What is it to Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano whether I learn to pronounce my name correctly?"

" _The Ruling Council has unanimously decided."_ The Fifth Councilor delivered the final verdict. _"There will be no further discussion until you learn to pronounce at least your own name correctly, Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto_."

In other words, sooner the icebergs of Csilla would melt.

"Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano has not shared his reasoning with me," she said in a tone that suggested it should have been obvious. "However, he has trusted me with this task and I shall endeavor to do everything in my power to please him."

Eli stared. "What is your position to him?"

Chaf'iae'tarthi proudly raised her chin. "I am what whatever my master requires me to be."

This was surreal.

"Do you even realize how it sounds in Sy Bisti?"

She couldn't be a … concubine, could she? If she was related to Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano by blood, she would never refer to him as his master. "You are a merit adoptive, aren't you?"

Her expression grew pensive. "Yes, I am. My master is very kind."

Forget surreal.

"Your master is a cold, calculating schemer," Eli snapped, jumping to his feet. So the Fifth Councilor elevated his concubine into a Chaf, getting a blindly-obedient slave in return? Would she jump out of the window if she had been ordered?

" _Sneeze on you_." She spat each word like a venom, the impassive facade cracking. The pale blue features held barely controlled fury, the glowing eyes emanated an intense, bright-red glow.

"I'm sorry, what?" Eli gaped, his mouth hanging wide open.

The Chiss female froze, then abruptly dropped to her knees. "Forgive me, my lord. I… No. There is no excuse for my behavior. I will see myself out and suggest another teacher for you."

Eli crouched down next to her.

"I guess what you said was meant as an insult?" He said, trying to alleviate the situation. It didn't have the intended effect; the Chiss woman flinched.

"Yes..." Chaf'iae'tarthi whispered. " _Ktah._ One of the most potent Cheunh insults."

Eli burst in laughter. " _Ktah_ , huh?" he repeated. "If it's any consolidation, it doesn't sound like an insult at all in Sy Bisti."

The Chiss woman remained silent.

Eli sighed. It must have been some insult, then. He sat down cross legged at the floor, resting his elbows on the knees. "You know, I thought..." He stopped. It wasn't the smartest idea to admit what he had thought. "Who are you, really, Chaf'iae'tarthi?"

The Chiss woman finally relaxed. She still knelt on the floor but she raised her head, looking him in the eyes. "A merit adoptive to the House Chaf, formerly a servant to Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano. Kres'iae'tarthi."

"Kres'iae'tarthi?" Eli repeated in confusion. "Not Iae'tarthi?"

That would be the name for a servant not belonging to any House, right?

Fiaeta shook her head.

"No. Kres'iae'tarthi. It is … difficult to explain." She admitted. Finally, she opted for a more comfortable sitting position, crossing her legs in a similar manner to Eli.

"Not every House belonging to the Bintrano Family has an aristocra, however, those who do are eligible for the seat in the Ruling Council."

Her expressions hardened.

"My grandmother, Aristocra Kres'aen'bintrano committed a crime against then-High Councilor of the Fifth Ruling Family, which called in for an exemplary punishment: My grandmother being stripped of her allegiance, and her flesh and blood descendants losing the Bintrano status for good."

"That must have been some crime."

"Murder."

"I'm sorry." Eli breathed out. So Aristocra Kres'aen'bintrano had murdered the former Fifth Councilor in an attempt to secure the seat either for herself or for her progeny. Lovely. It looked like the cut-throat politics extended to Chiss Ascendancy as well.

"I thought it was not a Chiss custom to transfer the crimes of an individual to other members of the House," he added, puzzled.

That was the legal loophole thanks to which Eli could become a member of the Chiss Ascendancy. For all practical purposes, Thrawn had been sentenced to life in exile. The exile, however, did not extend to other members of the House which had fallen apart after Syndic Mitth'ras'safis's death, and which Thrawn had decided to resurrect as 'The House of Humans.'

Any merit-adoptive to the House Mitth, any _servant_ to the House Mitth (and the Imperials under Thrawn's command would count as servants), could become a member of the Chiss Ascendancy once Eli's position had been officially recognized.

By allowing Thrawn to go by his full name even in exile (and they had little choice on the matter as Thrawn had committed a crime against outsiders, not Chiss), the Ruling Council had involuntary opened the door for Thrawn to bring in stray humans.

"In any case, it doesn't explain how you ended up being a servant to the House Chaf."

"That is even more difficult to explain." Chaf'iae'tarhi sighed. "While the punishment itself does not extend to other members of the House, the shame associated with the crime does. It is, therefore customary for the flesh and blood descendants to become contracted into servitude to the immediate family of the victim for several generations depending on the nature of the crime."

Eli winced. "You speak as if you had been given a choice."

"Theoretically, it is possible to refuse. It is a contract, not slavery." Seeing Eli's doubtful expression, she added: "An _honorable_ form of service and a way to clear the one's own name. Once the debt to the House is paid, the justice is served. Sometimes it can take up to several generations."

"Sins of the Fathers," Eli reasoned.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Sins of the Fathers. It's a human expression regarding passing the sins from one generation to another."

It was almost funny, really, how usually the pale blue face said: The Chiss do not believe in 'sins'. Trust a Chiss to take the saying literally.

"Never mind. So you had been a Bintrano in the past?"

Chaf'iae'tarthi shook her head. "No, Kres'iae'tarthi. However, my father had been Aristocra Kres'ten'bintrano before he became Kres'ten'tarthi."

"It must have been very difficult for him. The aristocras are, after all, born to rule." Eli mused aloud. "One day he was the master, the other day he was a mere servant. He couldn't have refused? It was his mother who had committed the crime, after all."

Chaf'iae'tarthi contemplated the situation. "No. It would have brought shame to House Kres, and given his status, to all Bintranos as well. A Bintrano always pays his debts."

Then suddenly, something occurred to Eli. Aristocra Kres'ten'binrano. Kres'ten'tarthi. _Stent._

"Stent!" He exclaimed. "Does your father go by the core name 'Stent' by any chance?"

"You know of his whereabouts?" Chaf'iae'tarthi's expression instantly brightened.

"He had left, publicly distancing himself from the Ascendancy. He said… He said that he could no longer stand how the Defense Hierarchy does absolutely nothing to protect our people from the threats lurking in the shadows."

Eli pursed his lips. It only confirmed his theory that this Stent did not know of the true nature of Thrawn's exile.

However, there was someone who did. Or rather, someone who came to know the truth once he had become a member of the Ruling Council. Coincidentally, also the one who had triggered the entire chain of events leading to Thrawn's ultimate 'downfall.'

And who―as a member of the Ruling Council―had an access to the Defense Hierarchy's latest intelligence reports on the Unknown Regions, and therefore had to know when Stent's rogue warriors joined the Task Force Admonitor.

"Chaf'iae'tarthi," Eli asked in a low tone of voice, "when exactly Aristocra Chaf'orm'binrano elevated you into a member of his House?"

The Chiss woman tilted her head to a side. "Several months after my father had left, not long before your arrival, in fact, saying a Bintrano always pays his debts. He must have considered the debt repaid by then. Why?"

"Oh, simple curiosity." Eli said in a dismissive tone. Who would have ever thought? The cold-blooded, manipulative schemer had developed conscience.

It seemed that Eli secretly gained a new, most unexpected political ally. Aristocra Formbi, the current Head of the Fifth Family, who had already provided him with an unlimited cash in a very sly, tactical move.

"That's all."

 **THE END**


	10. Crossover

**Title: Crossover**

* * *

"I need a break."

Eli murmured as he slouched deep into the armchair, closing his eyes for a moment; he allowed himself a small yawn, covering his mouth with a hand.

Thanks to Chaf'iae'tarthi's private tutoring, Eli had been making slow but steady progress in simple Cheunh over the past few months. However, he had a feeling that High Cheunh personal pronouns would be haunting him in his sleep tonight.

"Or a cup of caf. Art on War strength."

Eli let out a soft chuckle as he recalled the _Chimaera_ 's little insider joke; Grand Admiral Thrawn made his senior staff listen to the Significance of Art on Warfare lectures which resulted in increased consumption of the dark liquid aboard the Seventh Fleet flagship.

 _What is he doing now?_ Eli wondered. _Is he still stationed over Lothal? Is he still in league with Governor Pryce?_

But more importantly, he wondered how long before the Ruling Council finally stopped ignoring his presence. Until Eli had been given another hearing, there was nothing else to do but to study Cheunh and keep translating Expeditionary Library files available in Sy Bisti.

While Eli enjoyed working as an assistant librarian, he often doubted whether the far-fetched reports on the Unknown Regions contained a grain of truth in them. For example, right now they had been working on an article about a "rogue planet" which seemed to have wandered across the galaxy.

Kraytspit.

Nonetheless, it wasn't the first time they encountered the mention of a mobile world. In fact, there were multiple reports written by different CEDF commanders in the past hundred years, meaning this planet-sized … base must have existed. As soon as the restrictions on his movements were lifted, Eli would try and find it.

Chaf'iae'tarthi tilted her head to a side. "But we have only covered inferior, neutral, and superior pronouns. There are still the far superior forms to explain."

 _Forget caf, I need a massage_ , Eli thought as he flexed his arms and heard a soft crack coming from either side. He was a soldier; his body had been begging for an exercise. And adventure.

"Fiaeta," Eli begun awkwardly. Soon after their first meeting Eli had suggested to call each other by the core names, and Fiaeta complied even though she looked none too happy. Now, learning about the humble and polite variants of High Cheunh, Eli was beginning to realize just how inappropriate it sounded.

"I'm afraid my brain just can't handle so much grammar at one time. Why do you need so many different pronouns, anyway?"

He was behaving a little childish but he couldn't help himself; High Cheunh had several ways of expressing oneself: the humble/inferior, the neutral, the superior, and multiple **far-superior** forms.

Fiaeta threw him a disapproving look. "I have already provided you with a through explanation, Theliv. It is to emphasize one's own status to the others. You, a merit adoptive to the House Mitth, should use the superior 'I' when speaking towards all common-born Chiss who are not yet members of any House."

She took a brush, dipped it into the ink, and drew the ideogram once more. It was meant to express one's own importance and influence.

"The neural 'I' towards members of the other Houses belonging to the Eighth, and the humble 'I' towards all direct members of the Nuruoro Family."

"I'm talking about Yous," Eli stroke his beard thoughtfully. He hoped the facial hair would dissuade Admiral Ar'alani from addressing him as a child but it did not have the intended effect. Instead, the middle aged Chiss woman asked him for permission to touch his cheek, complimenting on the softness his _fur_. Fiaeta merely cocked up a blue black eyebrow.

"I think I'll be avoiding the Nuruodos for a while because I have absolutely no idea what **far-superior** variant I should use for whom."

"Yes. I can imagine it must seem complicated." Fiaeta nodded in understanding. "Not every Nuruodo is born aristocra; there are many merit-adoptives which means you need to memorize who is who among the Eight Ruling Family."

For better or worse, the Nuruodos behaved as if the House Mitth never existed which meant Eli did not need to concern himself with the proper form of address. For now.

He was about to call it a day when he heard the door chime. And frowned-he wasn't expecting anyone, and Fiaeta would always take the public transportation.

Eli motioned Fiaeta to stay out of sight and crossed the room in a brisk stride, opening the door just a little to reveal an elderly Chiss male wearing dark green civilian tunic. However, he had an air of a soldier and one of the glowing eyes was covered with an eye-patch, suggesting the man had military past.

"Good evening, my lord," the elderly Chiss said in heavily accented Sy Bisti. He spoke slowly, carefully articulating each word, obviously having difficulty with the trade language. "I am Ser'halis, servant of the Green. I blink, no, I _bring_ a message from Aristocra Reli'anr'harana."

Ser'halis reached into his breast pocket, taking out an envelope with a green seal, and handed it over to Eli who reluctantly opened it.

 _Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto_ , the letter begun.

 _While I understand you may experience the feeling of resentment towards my own person given the fact that I was one of the Councilors who had passed the judgment over your species, it is my hope you still accept my invitation to Dzehrlo, a colony world which belongs to the Harana Family where we can hold an uninterrupted private conversation about Mitth'raw'nuruodo and Reli'set'harana._

 _I appeal to you as a father whose own daughter ran away from home once she discovered that there was more to Mitth'raw'nuruodo's exile than met the eye, and who regrets his decision ever since._

 _The Defense Hierarchy has already approved of my request and temporary lifted the restriction of your movements as long as I, and I alone, take the responsibility for your actions._

 _Aristocra Reli'anr'harana_

 _The Second Councilor_

Eli gritted his teeth. The phrasing suggested the Aristocra regretted his decision to make use of human soldiers only because it caused his own daughter to run away from home. Nevertheless, this was the moment Eli had been waiting for.

"Tell your master that I accept his invitation," Eli addressed the elderly Chiss, suppressing a smirk. "Surely he won't mind if I take my Cheunh teacher with me, would he?"

"Your teacher?" Ser'halis repeated slowly, a shadow passing across the wrinkled face. "Who your teacher is, Assistant Syndic?"

Eli opened the door to reveal Fiaeta who had been standing out of the Chiss's line of vision until now. The glowing eye narrowed once it registered Fiaeta's allegiance color.

"Of course, Assistant Syndic Mitth'eli'vanto. Aristocra Lianrh will experience honor."

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

MissKitsune08's notes:

ImperialGirl's names for Lisetha's parents do not fit into the naming pattern I created for the Freak Fleet therefore I renamed them with ImperialGirl's permission. Lisetha's father is called Aristocra Lianrh (Reli'anr'harana) and Lisetha's mother is called Aristocra Selekha (Alse'lek'harana). Ser'halis is still a servant to the Second Family but his life story is slightly different since the events of ImperialGirl's TIE Fighter never happened.

Eli's beard… Sorry, I couldn't resist. If I receive enough negative reactions, I might consider shaving it off. :-P


End file.
